Written & Photographed by Odawni Villahermosa | October 18 & 19, 2025

SAN DIEGO - “Healed” and “blessed”—those were the two words that lingered in my mind after attending Bakunawa Market, a two-day gathering that went far beyond the concept of a traditional marketplace. Held at The Chrysalis in Barrio Logan, San Diego, the event invited attendees to connect with Philippine ancestry through art, crafts, and workshops that bridged spirituality, culture, and community. True to its mythic name, the market felt like both a celebration and a homecoming.

The name Bakunawa draws from Visayan mythology, referring to a moon-eating serpent or dragon believed to cause eclipses. In ancient times, people would perform rituals, imploring Bakunawa to “release the moon.” (McCoy, 1982, 141-194)

On its surface, Bakunawa Market resembled other maker fairs—booths displaying handcrafted jewelry, art prints, herbal remedies, and textiles. But underneath the familiar format pulsed something deeper. The event lived up to its Instagram description: “More than a market—a movement inspired from Babaylan wisdom, ancestral memory, and spiritual resurgence.” Every artist, performance, and workshop seemed to carry that intention—to create a space of reconnection not only with heritage, but with each other.

The first day opened with a surge of energy, the air alive with the hum of music, laughter, and storytelling. The day’s program blended the sacred with the creative: a grounding sound bath, spoken word, musical performances, and traditional Philippine folk dance. Each segment invited participation rather than passive observation, reminding attendees that culture is something we actively keep alive. The market became a living organism of shared rhythm and memory.

Vendors offered goods that reflected both craftsmanship and spirituality. Tables displayed handmade jewelry inspired by precolonial motifs, candles scented with native botanicals, and herbal blends grounded in ancestral healing practices. Each item felt like a story waiting to be told, a bridge to a lineage that continues to whisper through modern art forms.

If the first day was about collective energy and celebration, the second day turned toward connection and reflection. Workshops encouraged deeper engagement: candle-making as a meditative act, yoga and sound healing sessions that encouraged release, and even an introduction to mediumship, where participants explored spiritual communication guided by intention and respect.

The atmosphere shifted from the effervescent buzz of the opening day to something quieter and more contemplative. Conversations ran deeper. For many attendees, it was not just about buying art but about being seen and understood within a shared cultural space.

A powerful embodiment of this collective spirit came during the Kamayan feast that occurred toward the end of the market. Kamayan is a traditional Filipino communal meal where food is laid out on banana leaves and eaten without utensils. It is a practice that removes barriers and invites intimacy. The long tables were lined with banana leaves holding rice, boneless bangus, lumpia, kare-kare, enselada, and a bounty of fruits. As people gathered around, strangers became companions, their conversations flowing as freely as the meal itself.

It was more than just a shared dinner; it was a reminder that food, like art, is an act of connection. In that moment, the spirit of Bakunawa felt tangible: cyclical, communal, and reborn with every story shared across the table.

What set Bakunawa Market apart from other maker markets was its intentional weaving of spirituality and community care. While it was a space to browse or consume, it was also a space to belong—especially meaningful for those seeking connection to Filipino heritage while living in diaspora. These kinds of gatherings remind us that heritage is not static; it’s living, breathing, and evolving through art, dialogue, and shared experience.

In a world where cultural identity can feel fragmented, Bakunawa Market offered a rare sense of wholeness. It created a bridge between the ancestral and the contemporary, the spiritual and the creative. It was a space that invited both curiosity and remembrance, where healing happened through music, movement, and making.

These sentiments are further reflected in the altar by the entrance, where people are invited to participate by either writing down their intentions and desires on a piece of paper, or leaving a small offering. This altar will be carried to and presented during the next Bakunawa events, enforcing the message of community.

By the time I left The Chrysalis that evening, the feeling of being “healed” and “blessed” made perfect sense. The Bakunawa may have once swallowed the moon, but here the light felt fully returned.

References

McCoy, A. (1982). Baylan: Animist Religion and Philippine Peasant Ideology. Philippine quarterly of culture and society, 10(3), 141-194.

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